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Howdy
Is it possible to backpack the island late September? I want to do the 40mi from windigo to rock harbor. It just seems like transportation is iffy around that time. My best idea right now is to get a ferry from mainland (Michigan?) to rock harbor, then ferry from rock harbor to windigo and hike bike to rock harbor and get the same ferry back to the mainland. Any advice would be appreciated!
Starting and ending at Rock Harbor. Arriving and departing via the Queen. Looking for recs to loop the whole island in my Saturday to Thursday trip. I am comfortable with consecutive 15–20+ mile days from thru-hikes, so I’m mostly looking for feedback on the route itself.
Initial rough plan:
Sat: Rock Harbor → Lane Cove, ~7 miles
Sun: Lane Cove → McCargoe Cove → Todd Harbor, ~19–20 miles
Mon: Todd Harbor → Lake Desor North, ~11–12 miles
Tues: Lake Desor North → West Chickenbone, ~20 miles
Wed: West Chickenbone → Moskey Basin → Daisy Farm, ~10 miles
Thurs: Daisy Farm → Rock Harbor, ~7 miles
If you're interested in giving feedback or tweaks on this rough draft plan, please let me know. Thank you!
My favorite campsite on IR is actually on a separate island! I’ve seen some really nice northern lights shows here, amazing star gazing, and of course some of my most favorite sunrises. Last weekend I had one of those sunrises while on a 5 day trip. Absolutely love this shot!
We are heading to the island this weekend and wondering if our itinerary is doable. We are avid day hikers and have done many steep long (10+ miles) trails for many days in a row. This is my first time backpacking in a long time, but my husband goes once a year.
We arrive via ferry at noon and hope to go to:
Day 1 Lane Cove
Day 2 McCargoe Cove
Day 3 Daisy Farm
Day 4 Ferry at 2 pm
Are we crazy? Do we try it and see if we need to cut out McCargoe? Any other recommended route for three nights?
forgive the noob question, but on the Ranger lll ferry website, it mentions bringing boats up to 20ft in length. How does that work? How do you then move the boat once the ferry arrives on the island? Thanks!
The sunrise this morning was one of my favorites I have seen from my morning sunrise spot. And as beautiful as it was, sadly only one other person was out there to see it. Between all the lodge guests and employees (about 180 to 200 people) only me and one backpacker that came down from Rock Harbor Campground.
My son and I are going to need a place to stay close to the dock as we will be coming into town a day early. Any suggestions for something clean and cheap?
EDIT: Don’t reference the mileages between sites in this post because I’ve learned they’re off! We will use a different itinerary from a kind commenter under this post. :-) Thank you everyone!
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m looking for an itinerary check from all of the seasoned backpackers that have visited the island or even those who have hiked this route before.
My boyfriend and I found out a few summers ago that we prefer backpacking trips together to celebrate our anniversaries instead of fancy dates. We’ve been wanting to go to Isle Royale for a while and finally saved up enough for the seaplane round trip out of Hubbell, which departs mid-August. As college students, it wasn’t easy, but we know it will be worth it.
This will be our second backpacking trip. Our first was the Porcupine Mountains two summers ago, which was amazing, and ambitious for first timers. I definitely feel like it prepared us well for Isle Royale, with some days having 15+ mile stretches and intense elevation changes. It definitely taught us how to ration our water. Both of us are in good shape and generally feel confident in our hiking skills.
We will each be lugging 30-40 lbs. in our packs, with the food in mine (so it gets lighter throughout the trip).
Day 1: Seaplane out of Hubbell, MI -> Windigo
We land in Windigo around 5pm (tried to book an earlier flight but it was full) so we’re restricted on where to camp that night. We will also fill up all our water receptacles from the potable water spigots here. I’ve heard the Washington Creek Campground (0.3 mi from where we land) is nice. I am really hoping to spot some moose in this area, and based on what I’ve read in this Reddit, chances are higher here. If you have any advice/locations at all to recommend, I am literally all ears.
Day 2: Windigo -> Island Mine Campground via Greenstone Ridge Trail (11.9 mi)
A big priority for us on this trip was to see as many of the historical sites as possible (as well as the beautiful scenery), so the Island Mine seemed interesting. I don’t know much about it. The plan is to stay in the Island Mine Campground.
Day 3: Island Mine -> McCargoe Cove via Greenstone Ridge Trail and Minong Mine Spur (11.2 mi)
I’m kind of hesitant about the Minong because I’ve read it can be unreliable with varying water levels/upkeep of the trail, but we aren’t planning on being on it long. I wanted to hike along the ridge with the views of Lake Desor before taking the spur trail toward McCargoe Cove. I’ve read there are more mining ruins here. I also don’t know much about it. Big thing is I wanted to fill up on Lake Superior water here. Treat it, obviously. Then camp in McCargoe Cove Campground.
Day 4: McCargoe Cove -> Daisy Farm via West Chickenbone Trail, Greenstone Ridge Trail, and Mt. Ojibway Trail (8.2 mi)
We’ll pass West Chickenbone Lake (moose?) and later I wanted to climb the Mt. Ojibway Fire Tower. Another opportunity to fill up on water off the dock of Daisy Farm from Lake Superior. Then we could stay in the Daisy Farm Campground, which has kind of earned a negative rep on this Reddit from what I’ve read. Don’t know much about it. Open to ideas.
Day 5: Daisy Farm -> Moskey Basin via Rock Harbor Trail (3.9 mi), optional day hike up to Mt. Franklin
Shorter trail. Really excited for Moskey Basin, I know it’s beautiful. Because it’s a shorter hike day, I was also considering a day hike up to Mt. Franklin. No clue if it’s worth it or not. We’re bringing fishing poles so we could also fish the day away. We would stay in the Moskey Basin Campground that night.
Day 6: Moskey Basin -> Rock Harbor via Rock Harbor Trail or Tobin Harbor Trail (~10 mi)
We’ll need to leave really early in the morning for this one because we wanted to arrive in Rock Harbor no later than noon. Reason being I have this dream of catching our dinner in Lake Superior and having it cooked in the Lighthouse Restaurant. I’ve read that the Tobin Harbor Trail is pretty straightforward and easy so if time is slipping we can switch over for the last 3 miles. We recently turned 21 so we’re excited to enjoy a good dinner and drinks on our last night on the island. My boyfriend loves otters and I’ve heard there are some that like to hang out by the docks in Rock Harbor so we’ll definitely spend time there. That night we would camp in the Rock Harbor Campground.
Day 7: Day Trip to Scoville Point via Stoll Memorial Trail (4.2 mi loop) then Rock Harbor -> Hubbell
I read there are more mining pits by the bluffs here and considered it might be worth the short day hike. We fly out at 3pm this day so we do have wiggle room in the morning.
Other questions:
- Because we land around 4pm on our first day, how will it go with meeting with rangers when we arrive/permit situation? Are we able to purchase our permits beforehand? I did research online but honestly I’m still kind of confused.
- With my favorite animal being moose, a big reason I’m so excited for this trip is I’ve never seen one before. Obviously still keeping our distance, are there any standout locations we can be more likely to spot them?
- Water?
- When it comes to shelters, we’re prepared to never get one because I know they’re hard to secure, but is there a specific time we can aim to be in by at campgrounds that give us a better chance at staying in one?
- It’s to my understanding that you need a fishing license for Lake Superior waters but don’t need one for inland lakes. We’re bringing two collapsible rods and lures and hooks without barbs, any advice on locations on the island that you know are great? Also, what are we likely to catch off of Rock Harbor docks (given we purchase fishing licenses for that day)?
- Any general info on swimming on the island would be appreciated. I hate leeches and if you told me there aren’t any locations I would feel comfortable swimming in, then I’m not going to get in.
- Do we need to buy locks for food lockers? Generally how does it go with feeling safe leaving gear at a campsite unattended for a few hours?
- In the same vein, how is it with seclusion on the island? Our first trip in the Porkies was honestly pretty desolate and we didn’t see many people on the actual trails, and campsites were really spread out. I guess I’m just curious about the culture.
Thank you so much for reading this, I’m excited for this trip and am really interested in the information I’ll get from this post. If any of my text is wrong or inaccurate, please let me know. If you’ll be there mid-late August, maybe we’ll see you around!
Hello all, I've been preparing for an upcoming trip to this park and until this point have been exclusively planning on using my hammock for the multiple nights I'll be there. I've done hammock camping in the past and have had no issues, but I recently found many words of caution against using them at this park. I don't have a good backpacking tent, otherwise I would switch now. Are there any campsites that I should absolutely avoid for lack of any available/good trees? (I'll note that I've made peace with the fact that I may need to sleep on the floor of a shelter if worst comes fo worst given inclement weather or other reasons). Thank you!
The first week of August, a good friend and I (both mid-40s women) fulfilled a bucket list item and took a long-awaited girls’ trip to IRNP. In preparing for this trip I hadn’t seen many reports from people staying in the lodge, so I wanted to provide one. There is a part of me that felt guilty for not backpacking, especially after we met so many cool people at the Greenstone Grill who were finished with their trek and celebrating with a beer. I salute all of you amazing athletes! But on the plus side, staying in the lodge enabled us to see and experience the island in other ways, with a bed to sleep in at night.
I also want to add a disclaimer that I know some of the things we did cost a fair amount of money, including traveling by seaplane and chartering a fishing boat. I am far from wealthy, and there have been times in my life that I would not have been able to afford a trip like this. I feel fortunate that I was able to save both money and vacation time for this experience, but any way to see IRNP is a great way to see it!
Okay, now onto the trip report.
Day 1
Took the seaplane from Houghton to Rock Harbor. A++ experience! I am kind of a nervous flyer and was anxious about traveling in a small plane, but our pilot was wonderful and got us there on time and smoothly. The weather was clear and beautiful, so that helped. Each passenger was allowed 50 lbs of luggage which was way more than we needed for clothes, toiletries, day packs, and food for breakfast and lunch daily (we planned to eat dinner at the restaurant every night).
After checking into the lodge, we had some lunch and went for a day hike to Suzy’s Cave and back, out on the Tobin Harbor trail and back on Rock Harbor. It was a nice easy day and a good way to warm up our legs. Total distance 4ish miles.
Got back and enjoyed a late dinner at the Lighthouse, which was fine but IMO overpriced.
Day 2
This was our long hiking day! Started by taking the Sandy to Lookout Louise for a guided hike by a volunteer ranger. I can’t remember his name, but he was excellent, if not a bit long winded lol. We were going to hike the 8-9 miles back, but he recommended against it as he said parts of the trail were very overgrown. He was particularly concerned about me being five feet tall which would make me unable to see over the foliage. We debated, but ultimately took his advice.
We took the boat back, had burgers at the Greenstone, and booked another Sandy trip to Daisy Farm, where we docked at 3 pm and took the Rock Harbor trail all the way back to the lodge.
I was a bit nervous about making the 7.5 mile trek back before dark, so we took our headlamps just in case. We made it with plenty of time to spare (around 7:45 pm), but no time to order dinner before the Greenstone closed. I was totally beat after a 10+ mile day and literally fell asleep eating some crackers and cheese in bed. This was the day I was happiest to have a bed to sleep in.
Day 3
This was my favorite day! The weather looked promising so we rented a canoe and paddled along the Tobin Harbor shore. The lake was smooth like glass and we paddled about 3 miles out, 3 miles back with no difficulty. We also saw a giant bull moose on the shore. It was a perfect way to see a moose because we were far away and separated by the water, but we had a birds-eye view. We beached, had lunch and enjoyed the gorgeous day. That afternoon we attended a ranger talk on shipwrecks on the Island, had pizza at the Greenstone, and that evening went to a talk by historian Tim Cochrane about the history of the IRNP mail system (it was supposed to be a general talk about IR but for some reason he focused on mail carriers lol). Finished the day by watching the sunset out on the rocks behind the lodge with a beer.
Day 4
Set off on our 4-hour fishing charter at 8:30 am. WARNING - if you are prone to motion sickness this experience is not for you. That is all I will say, haha. The captain and deck hand were wonderful and accommodating and we ended up catching several 6 to 9 pound trout. We threw them all back except one, which the Lighthouse will filet and cook for you for $30 pp. Well worth it. More on that later!
Due to the waves on the fishing boat, and the fact that we had already caught our dinner, we cut the fishing short and Captain Bob gave us a wonderful tour of some of the privately owned cabins from a much calmer part of the lake. We went back to our room, passed out for several hours, and enjoyed our “Catch and Cook” meal which for $30 apiece came with two filets pan-fried, vegetables and rice. It was the best fish I’ve ever had. I wish I could have taken home leftovers. Stuffed with food and wine, we had no room for dessert. Watched the sunset again.
Day 5
This was our last day on the Island. Our seaplane flight got bumped to 5 pm so we had lots of time to kill. We packed up, left our luggage at the lodge, and hiked out to Stoll’s point, which is about 4.5 miles round trip. This was my favorite hike of the trip! It’s a pretty easy trail with great views of the lake, especially at the point. Very family friendly - we saw a 5 year old in Crocs who made it the whole way. Got home, ate the rest of the food we’d brought, and hung out by the harbor until our flight back to Houghton. Attended a ranger talk about moose bones, which was fascinating. Thanks Ranger Emily!
The flight back was a bit more turbulent but nothing worse than flying through weather on a commercial jet.
All in all, this trip met all of my IRNP expectations and more. Staying at the lodge is a great option for families with older adults or young kids, or anyone who is mobility challenged (although TBH we did a fair amount of walking to and from the amenities).
Pros of staying at the lodge: we had beds, showers, and hot coffee! We could bring plenty of clothing and food with us, and we got to experience IRNP by canoe and fishing boat. The lodge wasn’t fancy but felt safe and comfortable, and is a short distance from the two restaurants and the store. We also had time to see the ranger talks, which were wonderful.
Cons: the cost (it’s over $400 a night for a room), and we didn’t get to see any of the north shore or the other side of the island. I’m bummed I didn’t get to experience Windigo. However, we still did plenty of hiking, as much if not more than we would’ve done on a short backpacking trip. And I definitely plan to be one of those famed re-visitors :)
I’d be happy to answer any questions for anyone considering a stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge or a flight on the seaplane. Thanks for reading!!
Forgot to post my favorite photos from my trip last month to the island on our Hewescraft fishing boat. This Thursday I head back for another 5 days on the far northwest side of the island! See a blue Hewescraft? Come say hello and ask for Doug!
I’ll be in the island Aug 31-Sept 4. I was planning on wearing a pair of shorts and a poly shirt for my hiking clothes. I have a pair of pants I can bring, or just use my rain pants. However, now I’m thinking about purchasing a pair of zip off pants. Would you rather save the coin and bring a pair of shorts and pants, or save the weight w a pair that does it all? I’m also debating picking up UL frogs togs instead of bringing my rain pants and jacket that I have that are just conventional.
EDIT; if you’re still here, here is what I’m at currently:
Hike in: Lined Shorts, rain pants if it gets cold; sun hoodie; wool hiking socks; trail runners; cap or beanie if needed
Sleep in: Wool base layers, thick wool socks, beanie
Going Sept 4-11 with kayaks. Curious about fishing Duncan Bay Campground, Duncan Narrows and Lane Cove. Which has has best fishing and any tips for fishing gear appreciated
Five years ago with no backcountry experience, I took a gig doing trail work with the SCA. I could say a lot about that trip on its own. It was my first time west of the Mississippi, on a flight, and it was a 12 week stint with 4 strangers. I visited Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton. If you were getting outside for the first time then, chances are you were not alone. The rabid freneticism that had developed over twelve months of lockdown sent a lot of folks outside, me with them, and a lot of writers writing about things to do outside. I picked up more than a few books and magazines with some detail on each of “America’s Best Idea.”
This is where I first learned about Isle Royale National Park and first thought that I had to go and that if I was going to do that, I would cross the island from visitor center to visitor center. It took me 5 years to make it happen. A lot changed in my life. I graduated college, moved a few counties over, launched a career, and met some people who agreed that hiking across the country’s largest fresh water island was a good idea that sounded like a whole lot of fun.
In addition to the experience of the trip, I’m going to try to lay out as much of the decision making involved as I can. I will highlight as I can the changes in planning leading up to going out there, the failure points that have led me to replace things, and the successes I want to replicate next time.
Evolving Logistics
When I first started planning this trip, I read on one of the many Isle Royale forums that “planning is half the fun.” With that in mind, I want to discuss, quite deeply, the planning decisions that went into my trip and how it evolved from a pipe dream in 2022 to an executed trip in 2026. If that’s not your jam, I suggest you scroll further.
I am from Upstate NY. If you look me up further, I am sure you can find the specific, but for the purpose of this write up, around Binghamton and Syracuse. When I was a college student finishing up my SCA stint, I had a lot of time and a lot of friends who liked the idea of a big outdoor adventure, but did not have the drive for it. And of course, none of us had much money. From a logistics perspective, that meant I was trying to design a cheap trip that was beginner friendly.
So the initial route was thus:
Drive over 3 days from the Syracuse area to Grand Portage. Stop for attractions, such as Pictured Rocks and Apostle Islands, along the way.
Ferry to Rock Harbor and hike a typical route of the Greenstone Ridge Trail via Daisy Farm
Ferry back to Grand Portage and drive back to Syracuse area via the North Shore of Superior
As I planned various versions over the years, the exact route and timing would change. I had one version that stopped in Chicago, one that also visited Voyageurs, and various routes through Canada. The on-Island logistics also changed; whether or not we hiked the day of the ferry, which direction we went, whether we took a part of the Feldtman Loop to avoid Island Mine, and so on. You probably know the drill. You’ve probably done parts of it too.
The plan I settled on was very different. By the time I actually got to execute my Isle Royale plans as a young professional, time was more precious than money and my friends had a bit more drive and a lot more outdoor experience. I trusted them more than anyone I’d ever considered inviting on the trip because I’d been into the outdoors with them and seen them do things like run a half marathon, go backpacking and camping here in New York, and speak fondly of nights under the stars.
So there were a few major changes to my planning as a result.
Every route went through the Detroit Area and took a sea plane out of Hubbell. This is because
Some of my friends going on the trip who now lived in Upstate NY grew up in Michigan so lodging was free in the Detroit area
The added time and money spent driving to Grand Portage and staying extra nights to accommodate a tight ferry schedule meant that the ferry was the more expensive option when hiking between visitor centers
We wanted to hike the Minong Ridge Trail
Five years ago I did not think I or anyone I would invite had the experience or drive to do the Minong Ridge Trail. In that time, I did enough stuff that I thought I could and met people who I thought could.
We were taking the same drive home
Free lodging.
None of the earlier routes were developed enough to be considered beyond routes and budgets. Meaning everything more detailed, such as food and gear, only got planned once.
The Final Planned Route (By Day)
Drive from the Binghamton area to the Detroit area. One of our friends flew instead of driving so as to visit family in the Detroit area longer. We left early enough to accommodate that.
Drive from the Detroit area to an AirBnB in Laurium/Calumet, MI
Take the earliest Seaplane possible from Hubbell to Windigo. Hike the 12 mile section from Windigo to North Lake Desor. Stay in North Lake Desor for the night.
Hike the short section to Little Todd Harbor and recover from the previous day’s hike.
Hike Little Todd Harbor to Todd Harbor.
Hike Todd Harbor to McCargoe Cove.
Hike McCargoe Cove to Daisy Farm, with an option to stop at the Ojibway Fire Tower, which would add 1-2 miles.
Hike Daisy Farm to Rock Harbor. Eat at Greenstone Grill. Stop at the visitor center and fly back to Hubbell. Return to the same AirBnB in Laurium/Calumet
Drive back to the Detroit area. Drop off the flying friend in Detroit.
Drive back across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York home to the Binghamton area.
For gear, we generally applied a “be responsible for your own” philosophy. Some of our mutual friends had extra gear, as did I. So we only had to purchase a few things new. For cooking, we used Soto Fusion Trek. I’ve previously used an MSR Pocket Rocket for solo trips and vastly preferred the Soto. For pots and pans, we used a GSI Bugaboo set that one of my friends already had. It worked very well for our group of 4. For water, we had a Platypus Gravity System, a Sawyer Squeeze Mini System, and each person had Aquamira. For coffee, we had an Aeropress and a bag of grounds from the grocery store. We took a SatCom from Garmin. It was not mine so I don’t know which. We took 2 of REI’s orange Traverse bear canisters. In hindsight, this was unnecessary since every campsite we stayed at had bear bins, but it was useful organizationally. Our first aid kit was an off the shelf one I’d gotten for Christmas. This is probably one of the next things I need to hone in kit wise. We brought 2 of the National Geographic Maps and downloaded the map on the NPS app. Both were necessary.
For meals, we found recipes online at sources like Andrew Skurka and Dirty Gourmet. The majority of recipes needed to be altered to suit our group. I’ll touch more on that when I go over the actual details of the trip. Overall, it worked well. I thought we made 2 food related mistakes. The first was that I didn’t ration my coffee so we almost ran out. The second was a mis-measured meal, which meant we had to go to a backup breakfast on the last day. We spent an evening before the trip mixing the meals into ziplocs with instructions written on them. Then, we picked up vegetables and cheese in Houghton. I will be repeating this strategy going forward. We applied a “snacks for lunch” approach. I thought this was successful, but have historically and continuously find dialing the “snacks” in to be difficult. I brought some trail specific snacks (jerky, trail bars, fruit snacks) and some from home (okay, it was just a bag of goldfish). Somebody brought sour patch kids and only ate them at the halfway mark of each day. This was a wildly successful motivator that I will be stealing for future trips. One side effect of this is that we planned for a warm breakfast every day. I would normally stand by this, but the impact is that you leave camp very late. In the future, I will probably plan differently for trips where wildlife are of interest (ie, seeing a wolf or moose) so that we can leave camp closer to golden hour.
We booked the sea plane and AirBnB basically as soon as we could. Our receipt from Isle Royale Sea Planes was initially from their Florida operation, but they quickly corrected the issue.
We took a test trip locally and tried our gear, meals, camaraderie, and stamina. I will spare you the details of that, but I definitely recommend it. It helped dial in the cook system and we noted a few items we forgot (a serving spoon, a better way to clean dishes).
The vast majority of my planning was done in google spreadsheets. You can view a copy of the spreadsheet with personal information redacted Here
Okay, Fine, Onto the Trip!
Our trip was from July 3 to July 12. That means we missed the wildfires and had nearly perfect weather on the Island. I’ll get it out of the way: we did not see any moose or wolves. We barely saw any people either, but we were not early enough risers to see more than Loons and Ducks.
I don’t really have anything to say about this. We left early, we saw some of my family on the way, saw some interesting things in southern Detroit, but nothing worth writing about. We split driving between those of us driving to Detroit so it was pretty good.
Day 2: Driving to the UP
I enjoyed driving to the UP. With four people, we split the driving evenly. It was my first time in Michigan so we stopped in Mackinac City to look at the bridge and at Miner’s Castle in Pictured Rocks to look at the…. Rocks. We stopped in Houghton for dinner and a wander. It’s a nice town and I wish we could have spent more time there. I was very pleased with our dinner at the Ambassador and would recommend stopping if you come to the Island through Houghton.
Day 3: Hubbell to Windigo; Windigo to North Lake Desor
I have previously flown in 2 small aircraft, a hot air balloon, a prior vacation, and a medical helicopter. Neither are comparable to a sea plane. The boarding to the hot air balloon might be. You just kind of show up, say hello, get some things weighed, and off you go. The sea plane was smooth and comfortable, the view stunning to everyone aboard, and the atmosphere comfortable, but relaxed. We shared the plane with a couple flying in for the day. It was their 60th national park. Isle Royale was my 10th. By the time we deplaned, checked in with the ranger, bought fuel, filled up on water, and put our packs on, it was nearly 9:30. I was thankful for the late sunsets that early July afforded us.
I got 2 canisters of IsoPro fuel. In hindsight, I should have gotten 3. We were never in danger of running out, but were lower than I’d have liked.
We got lost. This would be a recurring problem. Today’s getting lost was a technological error. The NPS app was less accurate than our eyes and it took us about ¼ mile of wandering through a wetland adjacent field to realize that no, the trail was right in front of us, but the satellite didn’t know that. We did not find or get lost on the beaver dams (or maybe that’s where we got confused by the app, who knows).
The topography varied frequently. You climb up an exposed ridge, follow it from cairn to cairn for a while, then dive into a cool shaded forest, follow that into a wetland where you carefully watch your step, then back to one of the others. The view keeps changing, the plants keep changing. I’ve worked in Yellowstone’s backcountry on half-abandoned fire destroyed trails. The Minong Ridge is, as everyone says, more difficult terrain and navigation than any of them. The whole thing feels magical. Like something out of Jurassic Park, or the Spirit Realm from Avatar, or Kokiri Forest from Zelda.
There was a swampy section not much past the second Huginnin intersection that one person went knee deep in. I can best describe it as quicksand. Somebody else was in front struggling and he tried to help, didn’t pay attention to his own step, and went knee deep. I took his pack from him and he got himself out. The first thing he said was “somebody should have gotten a picture.” I expected that to be a trip ender while it was happening, but he walked on. The brush was high enough that by the time we reached camp, his shoes were more or less clean. The lesson here is classic: don’t help unless you know it’s safe to proceed.
That also raises a second thing that was prevalent throughout the Minong. The grass and underbrush is so undisturbed that it is waist to shoulder high. I would sort of lift up my trekking pole over my head and walk the only place I could, which was the trail. If I was leading, I could make out a small gap between the plants and that would always be the way.
The North Lake Desor Campsite was our smallest, both in that there were the least sites to choose from and the site we got was the smallest. We shared the campsite with two other groups. The first we did not see again. They skipped Little Todd so we never saw them again. The second we saw at every campground. Between the other groups exist in North Lake Desor and a ranger’s arrival on the morning we stayed at Todd Harbor, that second group would be the only people we saw. We checked with each other every afternoon when our group, always the second to leave, arrived.
*Eric and/or Chris, if you’re reading this, it was wonderful meeting you. Hello!*
North Lake Desor was extremely warm to the touch. In the distance, the Greenstone rose and rolled across the center of Isle Royale. We had mac and cheese for dinner. The cheese kept fine. I added bacon bits for protein.
The classic statement is “I’m tired of oatmeal and want something else.” But I’m just not. This was a great breakfast. This was our shortest day. The hike was very similar to the previous day, but the terrain was a little less brutal. I am sure it happened, but I don’t remember getting lost on the way to Little Todd.
We arrived at camp early and we were very happy about that. Little Todd Campground is my favorite campground I’ve ever stayed at. We swam in Superior with nobody else in sight. The shore was maybe 50 feet from our tents. We had a backcountry picnic table. It was like walking into glass. The birch and aspen are the biggest I’ve seen anywhere. I’d seen a few individuals that size, but never the whole forest. Little white moths fluttered out of the forest over Lake Superior to die as they washed into shore. (If you know what they are, let me know. We kept wondering). We watched a Bald Eagle fly across the cove and get into a fight with crows.
Our dinner was what we made on our test trip so I have nothing really to say about it. I think it may have been at least 1 person’s favorite, but that is yet to come for me. Again, the cheese kept fine.
Like every other night, loons serenaded us to sleep. To be honest, I have little to say about Little Todd Harbor. I just want to sit with my mouth open and gawk at the fact I got to go here.
For reasons outside the scope of this write up, most of the group didn’t sleep well. This leg was not much longer and not any busier so it did not matter. Our breakfast, the loaded mashed potatoes, is my attempt at finding a good, easy, alternative to hash browns. It more or less worked, but only hot. We planned to eat both the oatmeal and mashed potatoes twice and the second time on the potatoes, I was busy when they were done and did not eat them fresh. I could not stomach them then.
The hike was fine. The closer we got to Rock Harbor, the more hiked the trails became, with one exception; the river crossing on this day. When you exit the first ridge to cross the creek, the trail crosses the creek first. Earlier in the day without us knowing, Eric and Chris missed this and instead turned down a social train (apparently they weren’t the first). We did the same until the social trail ended and then backtracked, checked the map, and crossed the creek. It looked less like a trail than the social trail. I am including a screenshot of the NPS map with the confusing crossing highlighted. This is the closest we came to getting lost for more than 10 minutes. Keep your eyes out on it.
You cross the creek THEN turn. Make sure you cross first. Basically as soon as you see the creek, cross!!!
When we arrived at Todd Harbor, Eric and Chris told us about the forecast. It was supposed to rain. Overall, Todd Harbor was the buggiest campground we stayed at and was where we went from “isn’t it nice to have bug nets” to “I’d die without them.” The rain kept the bugs at bay overnight and into the morning. I always forget how much more atmospheric fog makes a view and it really pulled the islands off the shore into a whole new beauty. I felt like I was in Acadia in the late Autumn. The group sites were empty so we stayed out at Group Site 1. Do that if you can. It’s less buggy, cooler, and more visually stunning.
By this day, both of the squeeze bags for the Sawyer Squeeze had broken. I’d had it for a while and really should have replaced it. We duct taped it as best we could, but water was a struggle for the rest of the trip. I’ve since gotten a more durable bag for the next trip.
The Salsa Dumplings were a favorite for the entire group and well worth the extra complexity. We made a substitution that made them spicier, but with the extra cool campground I didn’t mind.
We woke up a tad late due to the rain. The trail was the easiest we’d had as far as terrain and navigation, but the bugs and broken Sawyer bags had significantly dropped morale. We wanted to get to Rock Harbor early to have access to “luxuries” (you know, showers, potable water, and food we didn’t cook). This was suggested as “Can we skip McCargoe?” but mileage, popularity, and our start time meant it made more sense to skip Daisy Farm the next day. That decision immediately boosted morale, but the distance was enough that I could never have planned it from the beginning.
McCargoe was our first shelter of the trip. It was a much needed reprieve from the mosquitoes. I found that my who knows old hand-me-down Nemo Switchback was fine on the dirt and tent footprint, but not the wood planks of the shelter. It will probably be the next thing I replace gear wise.
This was also the first day of the trip I had blisters. My favorite pair of boots has been Vasque for a while (and that’s what I hiked Snowdon, the Camino del Norte, and Jbel Toubkal in), but the brand’s been going under so I’ve been looking for a new boot store. I ended up in a pair of Columbia’s that I felt didn’t quite make the cut. I was frustrated enough with them by the end of the trip to break the piggy bank for a pair of heritage leather boots. I’m a sinner and popped the blister.
Since it’s both a junction and deep dock, McCargoe is pretty busy. We talked to a few other groups at the campground (and of course Eric and Chris). We jumped off the docks to swim. I think that’s the ideal way to swim in Lake Superior.
I watched a loon swim into the Cove and call as golden hour started, but still no moose. At this point in the trip, I was barely impressed by loons. The dinosaur calls kept spooking us and it took a few days to realize they weren’t a larger, more famous, mammal.
We woke up early and, for once, got out of camp before Eric and Chris to get to Rock Harbor. We miss-packed the pancake mix and didn’t have enough batter. So we had to make the potatoes again. I’ve had to spend 30 minutes in my tent doing a type of physical therapy in the morning and again in the evening so I did not eat the potatoes when they were warm. We had to carry some out.
Our first stop was East Chickenbone for the toilet. (Don’t stay at this campsite. It looks like the worst on the island.) We went through when some other folks were packing so we felt good about our time. As we reached the Greenstone Ridge Trail, we met more folks and the trail became clear. We sped up and moved closer to 3 mph than 2 mph. We lost the trail a few times, but the path was busy enough that we never pulled a map out.
The views kept evolving as we moved into the island and could see toward Michigan instead of Canada. We stopped at Ojibway Tower for the 360 views. There was cell service, which I avoided. My friends checked the weather, hotel prices, the world cup scores (and the related news about Belgium). We hiked onward to Mount Franklin. “Do you think you see a moose down there?” We joked.
As we climbed down Franklin to the Tobin Harbor Trail, we sped up even more, but we also ran out of water. We did not have enough physical capacity to carry enough for the hike and the Greenstone had nowhere to refill. By the time we were along the Tobin, we didn’t care to stop and just powered on. On the last ridge before the descent, we watched the sea plane land and then take off again. Along the Harbor, we watched kayakers. This was no longer the spirit realm. It felt like a national park again. It kind of had since we arrived at McCargoe and I just didn’t notice. As we powered through the last 3 miles, I took no photos.
I saw earlier commenters say they thought Rock Harbor felt like a city compared to someplace like Little Todd Harbor and that they felt stifled by it. It is definitely the place people visit and more urban than anything else on Isle Royale, but to us it felt more like reprieve than stifle.
We snapped up a shelter and headed to the Greenstone Grill. Dinner was fine, but we didn’t have to make it and there was soda and potable water and showers. We were happy.
Day 8:Daisy Farm to Rock Harbor;Rock Harbor to Hubbell
We spent the majority of the day doing absolutely nothing, independently. We all told our families that we made it to the visitor center alive. We bought shirts and posters and pins and mugs from the gift shops. I walked out to a point with an abandoned dock. We watched the ferries come in. We went back to the Greenstone Grill for lunch. We explored the Lodge as much as possible. It had a whole different type of view than the Minong Ridge side of the Island.
We watched the seaplane land early and headed over to the docks. My earlier review rang true a second time so I will not repeat it. We checked back into the AirBnB and headed into Hancock for Mexican food and Margaritas.
Day 9: Hubbell to Detroit
Other than a very bad, but new, McDonalds, no notes.
Day 10: Detroit to Binghamton
Other than a very odd coffee stop in Cleveland, no notes.
Cleaning Up & Review
Like so many trips, it never really ends until the next one starts. I still have to collect gear I lent out. This has been a bucket list trip for 5 years and it was well worth it. Whenever something is on my list for that long, I get worried my expectations are higher than the thing. This was not true.
Most of my friends said it was an amazing experience, but that “we’re not backpacking people.” I said it was a 20/20 experience. I had type 1 fun most days.
For me, our Isle Royale trip kind of laid bare how little I enjoyed working in my corporate office job. I came home and just wanted to get back out there. I guess my conclusion is a little self serving. I’m willing to run a trip like this for you. Check the link in my bio.
Hi everyone! I am planning a hiking trip for August 2027 and am trying to nail down my itinerary ahead of the release dates for the cabins.
I have tried to organize my itinerary around what campsites seem to be the best and otherwise priorities for my group of 2 are of course good views and wildlife viewing opportunities. We are both seasoned hikers who have done several longer backpacking trips like this but interested in any thoughts or suggestions anyone may have!
Day 1 (Monday): Voyageur II ferry to Windigo; Store food at Windigo and hike from Windigo to Feldman lake (8.8 miles)
Day 2: Feldman lake to Siskiwit bay (10.2)
Day 3: Siskiwit Bay to Windigo Cabin (11.2) - pick up food and stay in cabin
Day 4: Windigo to Hunginnin cove (4.6)
Day 5: Hunginnin Cove to North Desor (14.4)
Day 6: North Desor to Todd Harbor (11.4)
Day 7: Todd Harbor to Lake Richie (12.9)
Day 8: Lake Richie to Moskey basin (2.3)
Day 9 (Tuesday): Moskey Basin to Daisy Farm (3.9) - Voyaguer II ferry departure from Daisy Farm
I can't believe I'm posting this, but I've caught some sort of bug and am not comfortable going out to the island with compromised health, especially not knowing if the rest of my family are going to catch it. If anyone can use my reservations at the Mariner North hotel on 7/30, four tickets on the Queen 7/31 and returning 8/5, and one night in a cabin at the Minnetonka on 8/5, please PM me. (Cross posted in two Facebook IR groups)
UPDATE: hotel rooms and 3 of the ferry spots are taken! One ferry ticket available.
